


Bleeding Heart

by Q_Q (Bo0Radley)



Category: (여자)아이들 | (G)I-DLE
Genre: Drama, Established Relationship, F/F, Family Fluff, Gen, Nostalgia, POV Jeon Soyeon, Storytelling
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-09
Updated: 2021-03-09
Packaged: 2021-03-16 00:53:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,175
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29942022
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bo0Radley/pseuds/Q_Q
Summary: “Bleeding heart?” the lonely princess repeated softly to herself. Wordlessly, she reached out for it and the girl immediately handed it to her, her head bowing slightly. The lonely princess turned the odd plant over and over in her delicate hands, inspecting it with a critical eye.The happy girl, with an exuberant smile plastered on her pretty face, nodded eagerly. “Do you like it, Your Highness?”“It’s an unfortunate-looking flower.” the lonely princess stated, plainly but not unkindly. “I have yet to see something like this.”
Relationships: Jeon Soyeon/Song Yuqi
Comments: 2
Kudos: 14





	Bleeding Heart

“Mommy?”

“Yes, sweetie?”

“Will you tell me a story?”

Dropping my hand from the light switch, I glanced at the expectant little girl sitting on the bed before smiling patiently. “But it’s already late,” I explained softly, a finger raising to point at the nearby clock with a cartoon lion design that says ten o’clock. “You have school tomorrow.”

“But I’m not yet sleepy, mommy.” Seeing the adorable pout on her little face, I sighed before slowly walking towards the bed, mentally cursing my wife for teaching our daughter that pouting works on me.

“Promise me you’ll sleep after this?”

That little head nodded eagerly, her short-hair bouncing at the movement. Sighing a little, I then sat carefully on the side of the bed before reaching out for her favorite plushie—a humongous giraffe that my wife _insisted_ our child needed—at the foot of her bed.

Tiny hands immediately reached out for the plushie that’s almost as big as her. Now cuddling with the plushie, my daughter finally laid down, her eyes full of expectations and wonder.

“What story do you want to hear this time?” I patiently asked and her face lit up in excitement before frowning in thought. I almost giggled at how she hummed, her eyebrows knitted, before those familiar doe eyes lit up.

“My favorite one!”

I chuckled, already expecting that answer. “All of my stories are your favorite,” I reminded gently before humming in thought, one hand reaching out to softly caress my daughter's hair.

“How about a new one, instead?” I asked again, my head already started to fill with words and both familiar and unfamiliar. I felt my daughter nod so I moved my body sideways to tuck her in—a habit I’ve learned from my wife who always scolds me for being messy—before sitting with my back resting against the padded headboard.

And after a few seconds of rearranging my thoughts, I started speaking softly but assuredly:

> _Once upon a time in a faraway land, there lived a king, queen, and their princess. Their castle was rooted in the middle of a bustling, lively kingdom full of plebeians and noblemen alike who are all living in harmony._
> 
> _Except for the princess._
> 
> _There are no vicious dragons guarding her tower nor are there moats around the castle filled with hungry crocodiles to ward off the princes and would-be-heroes. There are no wicked stepmothers to curse her nor a poisonous fruit to put her in an eternal sleep._
> 
> _She’s just a lonely, lonely princess who can’t see why everyone is not as lonely as her._
> 
> _As the time passes by, the king and queen grow more worried as the lonely princess continues to be lonely. So one day, the king ordered that all mages find a cure for their daughter. Everyone failed to come up with anything but one: the royal mage. He told of a sickness—a terrible, terrible sickness—plaguing the princess since birth:_
> 
> _She has no heart._

“Is this a sad story?” I felt squirming beside me so I reached out to her small head to give it a comforting pat. “I don’t like sad stories, mommy.”

“Every happy ending starts with a sad story,” I explained patiently, idly aware of the truth behind those words. "And I promise you that this story has a happy ending."

Somewhat reassured, my little girl nodded before burying herself beneath the comforter, her tiny hands clutching the giraffe plushie. I chuckled slightly at the adorable view before continuing:

> _“My king,” the royal mage cried with a bowed head and sorrowful eyes. “The princess needs to find a heart. That’s the only cure.”_
> 
> _Desperate, the king ordered all the mages away as his mind brewed something to help his daughter. And with the help of his similarly befuddled consultants, he decreed that everyone find her princess a heart; a decree that almost tore the kingdom apart as soldiers and bounty hunters alike brought children of all ages to be presented to the royalty._
> 
> _As everyone—despite the wailing of the mothers on the outskirts of the kingdom—demanded that hearts be taken from these children to replace the princess’ missing one, the lonely princess, amidst the chaos, calmly stood up from her throne._
> 
> _“If this is what having a heart looks like, then I’m glad I don’t have one,” she declared in an icy tone, hushing the cries of the soldiers and bounty hunters as they thrust the crying children in front of the royalty, their swords unsheathed and ready to proceed with the unspeakable act._
> 
> _And with that declaration, the lonely princess calmly sat down before pouring herself a cup of tea, her sharp eyes sweeping around the unnerved and restless audience. She glared at how the soldiers and bounty hunters dispersed with bowed heads, ashamed of their actions as they shepherd the crying children out of the throne room._
> 
> _The king and queen, though reluctant, just accepted their daughter’s fate._

“She’s a very brave princess,” a tiny voice commented. I glanced at my daughter and saw her eyes sparkling with something akin to respect. “I like her already.”

I chuckled before nodding in agreement, nostalgia overcoming me when I was suddenly reminded of the past. “Your mama likes her, too.” And after clearing my throat, I continued:

> _As the seasons changed from winter to spring, the lonely princess remained stuck in winterland. And as more years go by, she grew colder and colder inside but grew warmer and warmer on the outside—a contradiction that appeased the kingdom's worried subjects: she learned to smile, laugh, rage, and even mourn despite the hollowness in her chest._
> 
> _The kingdom is now at peace with their future ruler’s predicament but the king and queen knew better:_
> 
> _Their daughter still has no heart._

“Mommy?” I glanced again at my daughter and saw the curious expression in her little face. “Is the heart a metamorph?”

“You mean a metaphor?” A small nod. “Why do you ask?”

“Because you said all fairytales are metamo-”

“Metaphor.”

“-metaphors and all fairytales have morals.”

“You meant moral of the story?”

An enthusiastic nod. “Yes!”

I chuckled before ruffling her already ruffled hair, giggling when she whined. “You’re way too smart for me now,” I cooed as my daughter continued to whine at my action. “Well, not me. But you’re definitely way smarter than your mama.”

My daughter dodged my playful hand before gasping mockingly. “I’ll tell her you said that,” she whispered conspiratorially, fully aware that I'm not actually serious.

And after playfully shushing her with her giggling in response, I continued:

> _But everything changed one fateful day._
> 
> _While walking along the forest clearing near the castle, the lonely princess saw a happy, happy girl dancing around like a graceful forest nymph. Curious, she walked closer and observed the way the happy girl's short hair flows with the movement._
> 
> _And when she got even closer, the happy girl—with eyes like a doe and smile like a ray of sunshine—noticed her presence and immediately courtesied._
> 
> _The lonely princess just nodded in acknowledgement. “What is that in your hand?” the lonely princess asked, her voice tinged not with authority but with curiosity._
> 
> _The happy girl smiled brightly again and the lonely princess noticed how she never avoided her eyes—an odd thing that piqued the lonely princess’ curiosity despite herself. “A bleeding heart, Your Highness,” she replied, her voice unusually low—a curious contrast on her rather juvenile face._
> 
> _“Bleeding heart?” the lonely princess repeated softly to herself. Wordlessly, she reached out for it and the girl immediately handed it to her, her head bowing slightly. The lonely princess turned the odd plant over and over in her delicate hands, inspecting it with a critical eye._
> 
> _The happy girl, with an exuberant smile plastered on her pretty face, nodded eagerly. “Do you like it, Your Highness?”_
> 
> _“It’s an unfortunate-looking flower.” the lonely princess stated, plainly but not unkindly. “I have yet to see something like this.”_

“What’s unfortunate-looking, mommy?”

I hummed, thinking. “It’s what people describe things that are not pretty.”

My daughter tilted her head on the side, her expression curious. “Like ugly?”

I chuckled. “Well, yes. But it’s not polite to say that.”

My daughter nodded sagely. “Is the flower really ugly?” She paused before shaking her head. “I mean unfortunate-looking?”

I hummed again before fishing out my phone from my pocket. After typing ‘bleeding heart flower’ on my browser, I showed her the pictures on my phone. “What do you think?”

My daughter jumped from her place, the flurry of movements causing the neatly arranged comforter to almost fly away from the bed. “It doesn’t look like a flower,” she pointed out, her nose too close to my phone screen that I had to move her body away from it. “It looks like a weird heart.”

“It does, doesn’t it?” I said gently before putting my phone back to my pocket. “It’s your mama’s favorite flower, by the way,” I added before giggling under my breath. “She has no taste.”

I heard another giggle. “I’ll tell her you said that, mommy.”

After playfully shushing her again, all the while gently tucking her back in, I continued:

> _The happy girl, undeterred by the lonely princess’ words, just smiled. “It’s my favorite flower, Your Highness.”_

“So the happy girl doesn’t have taste, too? Like mama?”

“I’ll tell your mama you said that.”

A gasp. “Mommy! You started it!”

I laughed before hugging the indignant little girl and kissing her forehead. After reassuring her that I won’t tell, I continued:

> _The lonely princess, despite herself, got curious. “Why this flower?” she asked, genuinely baffled. Around the kingdom, several flowers scattered here and there: roses, lilies, lilacs, and even sunflowers. These colorful flowers bloom beautifully and brightly, like gems atop the verdant grass, and a favorite among plebeians and nobles alike._
> 
> _The happy girl hummed, seemingly pensive, as the lonely princess awaited for her answer. “It’s a reminder that everyone has a heart, Your Highness, and one only needs to see it for themselves to believe.”_

“Is it the heart?” The excitement in her voice is palpable—almost similar to whenever I discover something new. “Is it the missing heart, mommy?”

After shushing her again with a promise that the story will soon be over, I continued:

> _“An optimistic sentiment,” the lonely princess, amused, her delicate fingers dancing on the oddly shaped petals. “Given my own predicament,” she added under her breath—too soft for anyone to hear but herself._
> 
> _“I daresay it’s just an astute observation, Your Highness.”_
> 
> _The lonely princess looked up, surprised, and saw the gentle smile gracing the happy girl’s face. The lonely princess—a verbose person honed by royal academics since her childhood—is at loss for words._
> 
> _“Do you own this garden?” the lonely princess asked instead, her curious gray eyes sweeping the forest clearing._
> 
> _The happy girl shook her head. “The kingdom owns all the lands under Your command. But my family has been living in these parts for over a century,” she explained respectfully and the lonely princess nodded, fully aware but nonetheless satisfied with the explanation._
> 
> _“Will you be kind and show me where this heart blooms?”_
> 
> _And from that day on, the lonely princess started visiting the small house of the happy girl. At times she will roam around the nearby forest clearing, admiring the plentiful vegetation and the blooming flowers._
> 
> _“They don’t need much sun,” the happy girl explained when the lonely princess asked why the bleeding hearts were under the shades of tall trees. “They will flourish and bloom without much light.”_
> 
> _The lonely princess just nodded in reply, trusting the happy girl's words. “They are still unfortunate-looking,” she commented, her voice carrying gentleness as her dainty fingers caress the petals of the nearest bleeding heart._
> 
> _“The heart is not always pretty.” The lonely princess glanced at the happy girl, noticing a gentle smile as one hand reached out to touch the same flower the lonely princess was touching. “But all hearts are worth admiring.”_
> 
> _The lonely princess then laughed, her chest blossoming with unfamiliar warmth that she’s been feeling lately. And after admiring the unfortunate-looking flowers more, the two started walking along a familiar path, with the lonely princess quietly listening as the happy girl told her stories of her day._
> 
> _As days turn into weeks, the lonely princess continues to visit the small house, steps too jovial and her face too bright. The king and queen, finally noticing the changes, decided to ask._
> 
> _“I finally have a heart.”_
> 
> _The king and queen, surprised and baffled at the lonely princess words, immediately asked where she found her heart._
> 
> _“In a small house nearby,” the lonely princess simply said, a bright but gentle smile on her face._
> 
> _As more years went by, the lonely princess realized how she finally stopped wondering why everyone is not as lonely as her. And as more years went by, she also started hoping that others like her—others born without a heart—will finally find theirs._
> 
> _Because like her wife said, everyone has a heart and one only needs to see it for themselves to believe._

“The end,” I said with a soft clap before turning towards my daughter with a patient smile. “Now go to bed, Yeonhwa. It’s way past your bedtime.”

My daughter yawned, her eyelids fluttering a bit. “So the happy girl and the lonely princess got married? Like you and mama?”

“Yes. But it took a while. The lonely princess can be stubborn.”

“What’s stubborn?”

“It meant not listening. Like you.” I then reached out for her side and launched a tickle-attack. My daughter squirmed, giggling and screaming, before promising that she’ll finally go to sleep.

“I miss Mama,” Yeonhwa mumbled sleepily, her eyes fluttering adorably before finally closing.

“I miss her, too,” I whispered. After tucking her in for hopefully the last time, I gave her a kiss on her forehead. “Goodnight.”

“Night night, mommy.”

I slowly stood up, careful of not making a sound, before padding my way towards the bedroom door. And after switching off the lights, I turned around and looked around the room, making sure that everything was in order.

And when I'm finally sure that everything is fine, I stepped outside and gently closed the door, making sure that it won't make a sound.

Outside, I released a grateful breath before padding towards the kitchen. I yawned a bit as I went to the counter and reached out for a tangerine.

Before I walked towards the dining table, I felt a familiar buzzing in my pocket.

“Good evening, princess!”

I sighed before rolling my eyes. “I told you to stop calling me that, Yuqi.”

“Never.” My wife smiled her familiar smile and, despite my slight annoyance at being teased again, I still smiled back. “Is Yeonhwa asleep now?”

“Yes.” With my phone on my eye-level, I maneuvered my way towards the dining table and sat down. “She said she misses you.”

Yuqi nodded sagely and I saw a flurry of movement behind my wife. “As she should. I’m her favorite after all.”

I scoffed playfully at that. “Whatever. How’s work?”

“Horrible.” Yuqi pouted. “My boss is working me overtime.”

I giggled at that, my eyes now noticing a familiar figure behind my wife. “Be nicer to your father-in-law, Yuqi.”

“But he’s not a nice boss.”

“What did you just say, Yuqi?”

“I said I love you, Papa Jeon.” Yuqi casually threw behind her back as my father—who stopped to look at Yuqi—squinted at my wife suspiciously before turning around and walking away. “See?” Yuqi whispered conspiratorially, her face too close to the phone screen.

I just laughed at my wife’s antics, fully aware that she’s not being serious. “When are you coming home?”

“Hopefully soon. Oh! I almost forgot!” The screen blurred with the movement for a few seconds before it refocused again. “Remember this?”

I almost laughed out loud at the sight of the familiar flower. “What an ugly flower.”

“Hey! This ugly flower is the reason I met you.” Yuqi playfully brandished the bleeding heart in front of her, its unusual shape almost covering the whole screen. “You should be thankful.”

I rolled my eyes at that. “It’s not my fault that you’re a horrible florist, Yuqi.”

My wife scoffed. “I’m adequate. And I got you curious enough so I still won.”

“Fine,” I acquiesced with a sigh, my then lips curving with a gentle smile before saying, “I miss you.”

“I miss me, too.” Hearing my gasp and seeing my furrowed eyebrows, Yuqi laughed. “Kidding! Of course I miss you, too. And Yeonhwa, too. I miss both of you.”

And after a half an hour of conversation, in which I finished two tangerines as I listened to Yuqi complain about work, we both said our goodbyes.

“I love you, princess.”

I rolled my eyes again. “I love you, too.”

After an exaggerated flying kiss, Yuqi finally ended the call. Now alone, I picked up my remaining tangerine and finished it in a few bites. And when all was done, I cleaned up after myself and started walking towards my personal workstation: the one place that Yeonhwa is not allowed to go in.

The first thing that greeted me inside was the framed bleeding heart—pressed and preserved—that Yuqi gave me when I finally agreed to be her girlfriend. I walked towards it, a sense of nostalgia overcoming me again as I was reminded of the past.

The past where Yuqi and I have yet to meet.

Picking up the frame, my hand idly caressed it, remembering the pain my parents went through after I was diagnosed with major depression. It wasn’t such a huge surprise when the doctors finally confirmed what they have been dreading all along but hearing it as an actual diagnosis still broke their hearts.

But for me? It was a relief to finally have the validation after years of silently suffering.

Smiling a bit, I gently put it down atop the shelf. Idly wondering if I should make coffee to combat drowsiness as I finish my work, I then padded towards my drafting table. The chair squeaked slightly as I sat down, prepared for another sleepless night.

But after a few minutes of just staring at the almost finished blueprint, I decided that I’m too distracted to work. So as usual, I reached for my sketchbook from the nearby bookshelf. Almost like a routine, my hand started moving on its own accord: the pencil slid forward, backward, looped, and shaded what needs to be shaded with a precision honed through years of practice. And when it's finally done, I chuckled at the very familiar shape.

“What an unfortunate-looking flower,” I whispered out loud—my voice carrying gentleness and gratefulness at the reason why Yuqi came into my life—before shaking my head and putting away my sketchbook, now fairly focused enough to hopefully finish my work.

* * *

**The End**

**Author's Note:**

>  **A/N:** The "fairytale" is actually my attempt years ago to create an original one just to see if I can. Although the one here is not how I originally wrote it.


End file.
